my (very) annoying orange!

 

We are getting psyched for trick or treating tonight!!  I LOVE Halloween!  As you can see, JP is the Annoying Orange this year.  UGH!  Oh well, he's too old for his mommy to pick out his costume. 

 

 

I will post more pics in the next few days.  There is also a VERY HANDSOME pirate living in our house tonight! 

 

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!  Have a safe night!

for one of my favorites

My friend Shannon reads my blog pretty often.  Today, I am SURE that I will receive an email "thanking" me for posting a picture of us in our bathing suits at Keowee.  So, in advance, YOU'RE WELCOME!

Seriously, in my previous post I mentioned how Jesus is our ONE TRUE friend.  While that is certainly true, I am very thankful for the other TRUE friends He has strategically placed in my life.  And it feels like Shannon has been in mine FOREVER!  In light of that, I thought I would dedicate a post to her.  I've never done that. 

So here it is.

I apologize for the bathing suit shot, but I love you DEARLY and thank God for your friendship!

Have a super day!

what a friend

When I tuck JP in to bed each night I scratch his back, play with his hair and sing to him.   I always sing two songs.   One is a lullaby that talks about angels surrounding your bed at night and keeping you in the Lord's hand.   The other (his favorite) is a lullaby in Spanish that I have been singing to him since we brought him home from Guatemala.   Usually, by the time I finish the Spanish song he is fast asleep.  Tonight was no different.

However, tonight I kept singing.  Our nighttime ritual turned into a mini praise session between me and Jesus.  It was nice.  One of the songs I sang was "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."  I know that my time with the Savior was ordained because He used these lyrics to speak to me in a very real way.  I have been working so hard over the past few weeks to keep myself  busy.  God knew that while He had me alone in a dark, quiet room, I would be free from all other distractions.  I was still.

And I heard Him.

Realizing that Jesus is ALL you need is a great truth to learn.  Unfortunately, I am learning it the HARD way.  I have been hurt.  Disappointed.  Broken.  Lonely.  Somewhere along this damaged road I have forgotten Who my real friend is.  God reminded me tonight of how misplaced my trust has been.

"What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bear

What a privalege to carry

Everything to God in prayer

 

Oh what peace we often forfeit

Oh what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer."

 

 

I am so thankful for the time I spent tonight in worship.  People will let you down. Your friends are not always who they say they are.  Relationships/friendships will sometimes disappoint you.  There are many, many ways for your heart to wind up broken.  Tonight, I was gently reminded that there is ONLY ONE FRIEND who promises to NEVER hurt me.  To never leave me.  To always be there when I need to talk.  My Companion.  And I choose to put ALL my faith, ALL my trust, and ALL my love in Him. 

 

Now maybe my heart can begin to heal.

 

 



  

2 in 1 post

I have one thing to say.  SEE THIS MOVIE!!!  HUH-larious!  I truly laughed from start to finish.  On top of the humor, the music/singing and performing was very entertaining. And my little Twilight alumni rocked the lead in this movie.

$10.50  was a small price to pay for this comedy.  Yes, I did just say that!  So, you know it must be good.

No matter who you pull for in college football, if you are human, your heart HAD TO go out to Marcus Lattimore during yesterdays game.  The ONLY time I pull against S. Carolina in football is when they play Tennessee, but I must admit that yesterday I was happy they pulled out a win in honor of Marcus.  I, hopefully along with you, will be lifting this class act player up in prayer.  I look forward to hearing just how extensive the damage is.  I pray this injury doesn't end his career.

That's it for now, folks.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

here i go again...

After my public declaration about NOT paying to see movies, I am going to see my 2nd one in a month!  I guess you could say that I am trying to keep myself busy.

TONIGHT I am seeing "Pitch Perfect."  I am prepared to laugh.  A LOT!

I will let you know if it's worth the money!!  Happy Saturday, everyone!

little bit of everything and a whole lot of NOTHING!

 (Above)  This is one of my ALL TIME favorite pictures of Laurie and Preston.  I took this when he was only a few weeks old.  Laurie wasn't even able to sit up and hold him.  Look at how he's looking at her...it melts my heart.  Literally.

 This is one of me and the two monsters boys one afternoon last year playing in the yard.  (Man, my hair was long...hmmm, makes me want to grow it back out. ) Look how much they have grown!

 Me and my FAVORITE man at the Keowee cabin.  GOOD TIMES!!

And here is a picture of Jacob, Bella and Edward in Breaking Dawn Part 2!  I saved the BEST for last!!!  Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but my blood pressure begins to rise when I think of this November 18!   I cannot wait to see this movie!  A year was entirely too long to wait for it. 

I hope that everyone has had a nice Thursday so far.  Thank God tomorrow is Friday!  :)  I am not sure what I am doing this weekend, but if I fall into anything interesting, I'll make sure to take pictures!

surgery date

My sister FINALLY has been given a date for her surgery!!!  I am so happy that all of her physical issues will (hopefully) be coming to an end.  Your job in this is to join me in praying for her.  I have listed specific prayer requests:

• Peace -  Laurie is very scared of this surgery.  Since Preston was born (18mo ago) she has suffered (literally) through three surgeries and multiple infections.  The surgery will last 6 to 8 hours and due to her history, she is at a higher risk for infection with this one.
• Surgeons -  Pray that God will guide their hands as they work on her and that they will be able to SMOOTHLY repair all the damage that has been done and remove the organs that need to be removed with no complications.
• Family -  Mom, dad and I will be basket cases. We have been here TOO MANY times before.  The outcome has not been in our favor.  WE ARE PRAYING THAT THIS TIME WILL BE MUCH, MUCH DIFFERENT! 

I guess that's it.  The surgery is November 13th at 1:00pm.  We covet your prayer support and love you because of it. 

It's time for Laurie to be able to enjoy her little curly-haired blessing.

if i could build the perfect CD right now...

...it would look something like this.  And I know that most everyone could care less, but I saw this on another blog so I thought I would do it.

1. California Girls -  Katy Perry
2. Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars
3. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars
4. Smile -  Uncle Kracker
5. Get You Home - Chris Young
6. Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
7. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
8. Love Story - Taylor Swift
9. Marry Me - Train
10. One More Night - Maroon 5

Okay, so if I ever get around to it I plan on making myself a mixed CD.  It's a little middle school-ish, I know, but these are a FEW of my favorite songs right now.

And on a side note...Maroon 5 is coming to Atlanta in March!!!!  Another goal of mine is to get tickets to that concert!  WOOHOO!!!!

the happiest place on earth

 JP got to wear the "1st Visit" button through the parks....he got a little bit of special treatment!

 Standing in line to meet Mickey for the 1st time!

home sweet home

 Well, we are home from Disney!  We had an awesome time!  I am BEAT, but all the walking was worth it to watch JP enjoy himself.  We arrived at our condo about 3:30 AM Wednesday morning...UGH!  I wrote JP a note (pictured above)  telling him where we were.  Up until this point all he knew was that we were going on a "long trip."   It was so much fun.

 (above)  I made him read the note to me.   Due to the fact that it was SO LATE, (or early), it took him a few minutes to realize what the note meant.  He knows that Disney is in Orlando! 

 SURPRISE!  SURPRISE!  He perked up all of a sudden!!!  

And mommy was just as excited as he was!

 

 

 

We had an incredible trip!  The weather was SUPER HOT.  That was the only downfall.  I will post more pictures later.  I hope everyone has had a good week!  

and we're off.....

We are off to Orlando!!!  JP STILL has no idea!  I will post pictures when we return.  We come home on Sunday!

 

Have a super week!

sunday thoughts...

Well, I have to say, my weekend was great!  It began with a nice, long drive (with music blasting) to Lake Keowee.  My friend and I took a walk and then had dinner at The Lighthouse on the water.  (That's a whole different post...it was amazing!)  When we returned from dinner, we watched "Hunger Games"  and  "Just Go With It."   So, a little drama coupled with HUH-larious!   I crawled into bed in a very, very quiet room ALONE around midnight.   And I drifted off into the most peaceful sleep.   No kids.   No noise.   Quiet. 

In other words, Heaven.

I actually slept in Saturday morning until 8:45!  I wandered into the kitchen and gorged myself with a big bowl of fruit, turkey/cheese/pepper/tomato/cheese omelet and toast.  Mmmm.  After that, I packed up my stuff and drove home.  Saturday night I went to CAROLINA ALE HOUSE with my bestie and got trampled on  walked around Fall for Greenville downtown.  The perfect ending to a perfect two days.

This morning, dad and I took Preston to church.  The pastor shared a couple of verses that spoke to me.

"Trust in the Lord and do good;

Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness."

Psalm 37:3

 

"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him."

Psalm 37:7a

 

 

You probably recognize the passage.  My heart needed to hear both of these verses this morning.  Especially the last one.  Rest.  I need to do more of that. 

 

 

Although I am not working this week, I will definitely not be resting.  It's DISNEY week!!!  Woohoo!  We are leaving on Tuesday and I am really excited.  Mainly for JP.  It's a little bittersweet for me.  I fully intend to have a blast with my friends, but I will miss my family.  And I'm sad that they cannot come.  Thank goodness for technology, because they will not have to miss JP walking into the Magic Kingdom!!   And trust me, that will be a sight!

 

Well, I guess that's all for now.  Obviously this post is dedicated to those BORED people out there who are losing massive amounts of sleep at night wondering what exactly Andrea did with herself all weekend!

 

Hopefully this will put your mind at ease.

 

lake keowee

I am so THRILLED that today is Friday!!  My weekend is going to be pretty laid back.  I am heading to the lake for the night with a friend.  I will return home tomorrow and then enjoy a Girls' Night with a few of my other favorites!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, restful weekend!  I will post pics soon...

rewind (baby JP)

 Me and JP the day before we were able to bring him home in 2007!

 JP and "the other Joseph" after a Sunday afternoon lunch...(they were in the children's home together in Guatemala.)

 

Just look at those cheeks....I DARE you to show me something cuter than this!!!

 

 

I am going through my pictures on my hard drive and putting them on disks.  I found these and thought I would share.

 

 

Oh how I love this boy.

 

 



Today is my dad's birthday!!  I love you so much dad!  You are the absolute GREATEST man.  The greatest Papa, dad, friend and protector! 

YOU DESERVE TO HAVE THE BEST DAY EVER!  We love you!

my sunday night

JP and I went back to church tonight.  I have not been to church on a Sunday night in a  long time, but I wanted to go because of choir practice.  It was so nice.  Singing has always been a form of therapy for me.  As of now I am planning on participating with the choir in their Christmas musical this December.  I am really looking forward to it! 

 



I was so tired this afternoon.  JP and I were snuggled up in our bed together most of the afternoon watching television, movies and playing games.  (And I tapped in to a little nap while he played his video game!)  My point is, I DID NOT want to go back to church. 

 

As always, I was glad that I did.  If for no other reason, the pastor referenced this passage...

 

 

" But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my Glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice and He heard me from His Holy Hill!"

Psalm 3:3-4

 

 

Boy did I need to hear that.  So I guess I want to say thank You, Lord, for rolling me out of bed this afternoon and into Your house. Even when my mind is so confused and flooded with turmoil, You come to me where I am and speak to my heart.

 

And for that, I am thankful.

it's friday!!

Me and my BFF, Kathi!

I am posting this picture in honor of my girl, Kathi!  Her birthday was October 2nd, so HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, BG!  Also, we were discussing during our productive "walk" at Furman on Tuesday how much fun we had when she joined JP, my mom and I on this trip to Lake Lure.  GOOD TIMES!  I love ya, girl!

I am SO thankful that today is Friday.  I do not have much planned this weekend.  Tonight, I foresee myself watching movies with my sister all night! WOOHOO!  Perfect down time after a CRAZY week at work.

Happy weekend, everybody!

pete the cat

Me and my tiny LOVE, Preston!

 

 

 

The above picture has absolutely NOTHING to do with this post.  I brought my camera over to mom and dad's tonight to update/download and erase some pictures.  Preston immediately latched on to my leg , (as he often does to everyone who walks past him when he's sleepy), and started saying, "Cheese!"  Naturally, I HAD to take our picture!  I love this little miracle baby!  He is growing so fast.

 

Now, for the real reason I wanted to write tonight.  Anyone who knows me knows that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE children's books.  All children's books.  I have collected them since I was in high school.  I have seriously been to Barnes and Noble and sat in the children's section and read through the books. Alone.  Most of you know that mom and I (pretty much) completed a manuscript for our own book before summer.  I have not been able to tweak it due to the crazy events in my life at this time.  But, I do look forward to putting the final touches on it and beginning the search for an agent.  ANYWAY, my newest obsession in this genre is...

 

 

Pete the Cat!!!  You do not have to be the fanatic that I am to enjoy this book. If you have not read it, I suggest you do!  It is so cute.  Every book that Eric Litwin writes has a CD with it and is written to a song.  He has several books.  He is brilliant.  They are fun to read and each story has a moral to it in the end.  In this book, Pete is walking along in his white shoes and steps in a variety of messes.  Each mess he steps in turns his shoes a different color.  At the end of the book he steps in a puddle of water and his shoes go back to being white.  The moral?  IN LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU WALK THROUGH JUST KEEP "WALKING ALONG AND SINGING YOUR SONG....BECAUSE IT'S ALL GOOD!" 

 

 

We read this story to our class in circle time today.  While most of our students are not able to understand the words, they certainly spoke to me.  I feel like I have been walking around in a big pile of  $%#! lately.  I needed this reminder from good 'ole Pete!  No matter what trials I am facing, in the end I KNOW that God will restore me and rinse me of all the pain that I am clothed in.  And I will eventually be a better person because of it.  Because HE is all good!

 

 

 

 





And this is the next book I REALLY, REALLY want by this author!  I've read it, of course, but I would love to have it in my collection.  It is super cute!  Hopefully in the near future I will be able to buy it!  It is not expensive, but when you are saving money left and right, unfortunately there is little room in my "wants" category for spending.  But, one day I WILL have it. :)

 

Well, I guess that's it for tonight.   It's 10:00pm.  I should really get some sleep.  I'm excited because tomorrow's Friday!!!  TGIF!

update on my sister

First of all, YES, I am typing this after midnight.  YES it is odd for me to be awake after midnight.  But for those of you who can move past that, I will share with you (tastefully) what is going on with Laurie.  A lot of you have asked me how she is doing.  That is such a loaded question and bottom line, I only have a small window to write because my Ambien is going to kick in soon and cause me to fall asleep on the keys.  Not good!

Quick back story for those of you who do not know the story:  Laurie's delivery of Preston was a horrific experience.  I most certainly will spare you the details, but I can tell you that he is 18 months old and she is about to have her 3rd surgery to correct the damage.  She is not able to walk really well right now, so thankfully she is home where we can all chip in and help take care of the monsters children.

 

She has an appointment with the surgeon on October 15th.  We are HOPING we will then have a surgery date.  The surgery will be very involved and quite frankly a little nerve racking for all of us.  It will take 6 to 8 hours, and multiple surgeons.  I am choosing to share this information publicly because we can use all the prayers we can get. 

I am normally a fairly early bird when it comes to getting in bed at night.  I just thought the picture was funny.  Even though she looks nothing like me.  I'm not mad.  I'm actually smiling...don't ask me why

Okay, that's all for this middle of the week mediocre post.  I hope everyone has a wonderful night morning! 

HAPPY THURSDAY!